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About BaltimoreTerp

Napoli are so fun to watch. Would love to see them make a real run at the Scudetto this year, they've held on to everyone and I could definitely see it happening though obviously Juve are still favorites.

Maybe I'm just scarred by the Perriman debacle from 2 years ago but I'm expecting Flacco to miss at least a couple of games. When there's no timetable to return to practice it's hard to imagine him being ready to play in just a couple of weeks.

If I'm Dortmund and it's the EPL clubs who are circling I would hold out for somewhere around 65m right now.
I think with Dembele likely on his way out and Reus' injury issues always a concern, he's in line for a lot of playing time this year and if he has a big year coupled with a great World Cup, he could be a 100 million pound player as soon as next summer. As much a statement of his talent as it is about the fact that he is a potential marketing goldmine.
My guess is he ends up Man United's big glamour summer signing in a year or two. IIRC he's a fan and they're not a club that's shy about making footballing decisions with 'brand' concerns included so they'll be willing to pay an increased fee based on the marketing impact it'll have in the US. The EPL top 6 are all salivating at the possibility of having the first true American superstar on their books.

True, really does put into perspective just how bad that business was for Chelsea that they sold him to a rival and mega-rich club for the fee they did if they're gonna go and spend the exact same amount on Danny Drinkwater.

Honestly not optimistic at all about this offense. We're not even to the 2nd preseason game and we're already in a position where James Hurst is starting and there is ZERO depth behind him. And this before the action really starts. More injuries are coming and our line is going to be trash. Full credit to the new offensive line coach and Greg Roman if they can turn this thing into something salvageable.
Add in our quarterback's mysterious back injury that everyone seems "confident" on even though he hasn't started practicing yet and I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to be excited about on offense. At least on paper the defense looks better because they're gonna have to carry us this year.

Nightmare start for Lovren. Should have conceded a penalty on a bad handball, gets away with it, then almost immediately gives away a penalty on a dumb foul.
And then Mignolet bails him out... awful awful penalty from Kramaric.

All this talk about Chambo has been about him wanting to leave because he wants consistent playing time, wants a chance to feature as a central midfielder, etc... so it'll be a bit funny if he ends up moving to Chelsea where he'll occupy the exact same role he plays for Arsenal - versatile cover across a number of positions with the most likely playing time coming at the wingback positions. He's sure as hell not being targeted by Chelsea to slot directly into their midfield 2 alongside Kante.
I know every player has to pretend that them moving to new clubs is about all of these other things rather than most directly about money but still, this one will be annoying.

Weston McKinnie started for Schalke today in their German Cup game... combination of their opponent being a lower divison team and Schalke dealing with injuries in midfield, but it's a great sign nonetheless that they're treating him as one of their top youth prospects.
Will be interesting to see how much playing time he can get this season, if he does break into a rotational role with them it would be hard to leave him off the World Cup squad next year.

My West Ham preview really failed to take into account just how bad Bilic is.
Still think they've got the squad to push for a top half finish under different management but it's honestly ridiculous how often they show up looking completely unprepared and hopeless.

I think Barca will get Dembele but not Coutinho this summer. Dortmund don't have that sweet sweet EPL TV money to lean back on, they know they're selling a club and while they'll make things difficult, if/when Barca comes in with a 100m+ offer they're going to say yes.

Conte isn't being shy about his unhappiness with the Chelsea board's decision to sell Matic.
Feels like that's a relationship that could go toxic at any moment, particularly considering the fact the circumstances that led to Conte leaving Juve.

DC United making a bunch of moves today. Using some TAM money to sign Hungarian international Zoltan Meiber, getting former USYNT prospect Russell Canouse to add to their midfield, and also signing US senior international Paul Arriola.
Looks like they're getting more serious about putting together a competitive team with the new stadium coming next year. Still think they need to get rid of Olsen if they actually wanna start playing decent/attractive soccer with these playmakers though.